Saltcellar



Jan. 28; 1930. w. F. CONNOR 1,744,952

SALTCELLAR Filed Oct. 19, 1925 Illll Patented Jan. 28, 1930 WILLIAM F. CONNOR, NEW YORK, N. Y.

SALTCELLAR Application filed October 10, 1925. Serial No. 61,678.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in saltcellars, and has for its object the provision of a saltcellar capable of using salt in solid form, which can be reduced to its granular form as desired, by means. of a grating mechanism, thereby avoiding the disadvantages of the usual type of saltcellar.

As is well known, saltcellars now in general use consist of a container with a perforated top in which salt in its granular form only can be used. The disadvantage of such a form of saltcellar is that the salt is apt to absorb moisture from the air, thereby causing the salt to become sticky and to harden, and consequently it cannot be shaken from the saltcellar as desired, and the granulated salt is exposed to more or less dirt in handling.

All of these disadvantages and defects of the ordinary saltcellar are avoided in my invention.

In the preferred form, my device consists of a cylindrical container, inside of which is fixed a solid stick or cube of salt which can be rotated against a fixed grater, thus reducing the salt to its granulated form as desired. The eflicient use of the solid form of salt is not affected by moisture and damp-- ness of the air.

" Y My invention consists of the novel device hereinafter described and shown, but I am not to be understood to be limited to the preferred form set forth, and the scope of my invention is as presented in the claim appended hereto.

Of the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the saltcellar, embodying the preferred form of my 1n-* vention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, showing the stick of salt as placed and the grating device;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the solid stick of salt, showing the means by which 4 it is attached to the cap of the container;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the grating device, allowing provision for additional perforations; and

Fig. 5 is a variation of my invention in which the salt stick and grater are reversed.

" Similar reference numerals refer to like parts in the different figures.

In the preferred form of my invention, the saltcellar consists of a cylindrical container 2 (Fig.1) having a cap 1 which extends down and over the sides of the saltcellar. The friction between the cap 1 and the cylindrical container 2 is sufficient to hold the cap upon the container but will permit rotation of the cap at will. The salt is cast or made in solid PATENT OFFICE" j 1 form (Fig. 3) with two small metal rods inserted in it 3, 3 which will engage with corresponding holes 5, 5 in the top of the cap 1, and asnap fastener arrangement is utilized to hold the salt stick in the cap, one-half of the snap fastening at being inserted in the salt stick when the same is formed. The salt stick is then inserted into the cap, being held firmly by the snap fastener, and the cap can be rotated at will, revolving the salt stick against the grater 6 which reduces the salt to its granular form. As the salt is granulated, it falls down through the holes of the grater, and thence out through the bottom of the cylinder (or container). The moisture of the air then cannot affect the efiiciency of my saltcellar, for the salt vis granulated. only as needed. The grater is of the usual sort, the part of the metal punched out to make the holes being bent back on one side to form the abrasive surface of the grater, andthe grater itself being held stationary at a given point in the lower container 2. The salt stick must be of a consistency hard enough to resist disintegration from the pressure of rotation and yet be soft 'enough to granulate readily when revolved over the grater. Provision may be made for accessory holes in the grater to assist in the sifting process, as in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 shows a variation of my invention, the grater being held stationary in the top of the cap 1, and the salt stick being held in the lower part of the container 2. The top of the cap in this variation is perforated as well as the grater. The method of operation is the same, but this time the salt as granulated' proceeds from the top of the saltcellar.

The saltcellar of my invention may be made of any material from which saltcellars are usually made, the material not being an essential part of my invention.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A saltcellar comprising a container portion for a solid block of salt, said container portion being provided with openings and depending studs adapted for engagement respectively with rods and metallic sockets embedded in said block of salt for holding said block against movement relative to said container portion and a second portion cooperating with said container portion, said second portion having within the confines thereof a late provided with a plurality of evenly distributed grating means and a plurality of evenly distributed perforations for causing the distribution of salt granulated by said grating means, said portions being held in movable relation to each other by friction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM F. CONNOR. 

